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Aug 04, 2015 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

Michael Browning was manager for the band AC/DC in its early days, until shortly before the death of the band’s original lead singer Bon Scott. In Dog Eat Dog, Browning details his time with the band, as well as his experiences in the music industry before and after AC/DC, including managing local Australian acts such as Billy Thorpe and Doug Parkinson and discovering INXS.

For those interested only in AC/DC, understand that Browning does not get to Scott, the Young brothers Angus and Malcolm, and the rest of the gang until 100 pages in. Dog Eat Dog is not exclusively a tale of working with AC/DC, it’s Browning’s memoir and Browning’s music industry involvement started in the ‘60s and lasted until the recent past. What this means, unfortunately for U.S. readers, is that much of what Browning details in a good part of the book is fairly difficult to relate to. Names like Billy Thorpe and Doug Parkinson might be household in Australia but are largely unknown to U.S. audiences. Australia-specific references get lost without appropriate background or context for unfamiliar readers.

As for the AC/DC tales, Browning shares a few interesting anecdotes, such as the time in Miami in 1977 when the band fished for sharks and stored the take in the ice machine of the hotel in which it was staying. Mostly, however, Browning’s dealings with the band were managerial in nature, and stories like these are not expounded upon with much detail. What is most interesting about Browning’s tale is his drive to break the band out of Australia and onto a global stage, which happened during his tenure with the band. It is understandable that this is what Browning knows best, not tales of partying, drink, drug, and sex. Browning’s inner-workings from a managerial standpoint, how he promoted the band, how he toiled to break them internationally, how he championed them across coasts, are told matter-of-factly. The sweat that Browning undoubtedly shed in his pursuits with AC/DC does not always come off the page as one wishes it would. Instead, while Dog Eat Dog offers some insight, its potential exceeds its presentation. (www.allenandunwin.com)

Author rating: 5.5/10